Dental Handpiece

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dental handpiece ( 1; 1′ ) which comprises a body ( 3 ) intended to be held by an operator, such as a dentist or dental hygienist, an implement ( 9 ) being able to be fitted in a front part of the body ( 3 ) so that the operator is able to carry out an oral procedure on a patient with the aid of the implement ( 9 ) when holding the body, a light source ( 29 ) being disposed in the body ( 3 ) and intended to emit light for illuminating the patient's oral cavity during the oral procedure. The invention is characterized in that the dental handpiece ( 1; 1′ ) additionally comprises a lens arrangement ( 33 ) designed to diffuse the light from the light source ( 29 ) within the patient's oral cavity.

1 . Dental handpiece comprising:
 a body to be held by an operator and including a front part,   an implement being able to be fitted in a front part of the body to enable the operator to carry out an oral procedure on a patient with the aid of the implement when holding the body,   a light source disposed in the body and intended to emit light for illuminating the patient's oral cavity during the oral procedure,   a lens arrangement designed to diffuse the light from the light source within the patient's oral cavity, wherein the lens arrangement is mounted in a detachable manner in the body in order to permit exchange of lens arrangements.   
   
   
       2 . Dental handpiece according to  claim 1 , further comprising a detachable casing which encloses at least part of the body, the lens arrangement being held securely by the casing. 
   
   
       3 . Dental handpiece according to  claim 2 , wherein the casing is made of a soft and flexible material. 
   
   
       4 . Dental handpiece according to  claim 3 , wherein the casing protrudes from the front part of the body, and wherein the lens arrangement being mounted in a protruding part of the casing. 
   
   
       5 . Dental handpiece according to  claim 4 , wherein the lens arrangement is made of one of the following types of materials: PMMI 3  PC, COC or COP. 
   
   
       6 . Dental handpiece according to  claim 4 , wherein the lens arrangement includes a channel that extends through the lens arrangement in the longitudinal direction of the body, and wherein the implement is intended to be fitted in the channel. 
   
   
       7 . Dental handpiece according to  claim 6 , wherein the lens arrangement is designed as a truncated cone, and wherein the truncated cone narrows in the direction of the tip of the implement. 
   
   
       8 . Dental handpiece according to  claim 7 , wherein the lens arrangement is designed to divide the light from the light source into a focusing part for spot illumination of a defined site within the oral cavity and into a diverging part for general illumination of the oral cavity. 
   
   
       9 . Dental handpiece according to  claim 8 , in which the focusing part comprises a diffusion of the light at an angle (α) lying in the range of 10-25°. 
   
   
       10 . Dental handpiece according to  claim 9 , wherein the diverging part comprises a diffusion of the light at an angle (h) lying in the range of 50-60°. 
   
   
       11 . Dental handpiece according to  claim 10 , wherein at least part of the lens arrangement is made of a colored material. 
   
   
       12 . The dental handpiece of  claim 11 , wherein the lens arrangement is detachable to replace with a lens arrangement with different light diffusion properties, in the event of wear and tear to the lens arrangement, or for cleaning and sterilizing the lens arrangement. 
   
   
       13 . The dental handpiece according to  claim 3 , wherein the casing includes silicone. 
   
   
       14 . The dental handpiece according to  claim 1 , wherein the lens arrangement includes a channel that extends through the lens arrangement in the longitudinal direction of the body, and wherein the implement is intended to be fitted in the channel. 
   
   
       15 . The dental handpiece according to  claim 1 , wherein the lens arrangement includes a truncated cone that narrows in the direction of the tip of the implement ( 4 ). 
   
   
       16 . The dental handpiece according to  claim 1 , wherein the lens arrangement is to divide the light from the light source into a focusing part for spot illumination of a defined site within the oral cavity and into a diverging part for general illumination of the oral cavity. 
   
   
       17 . The dental handpiece according to  claim 16 , wherein the focusing part comprises a diffusion of the light at an angle (α) lying in the range of 10-25°. 
   
   
       18 . The dental handpiece according to  claim 17 , wherein the diverging part comprises a diffusion of the light at an angle (β) lying in the range of 50-60°. 
   
   
       19 . The dental handpiece according to  claim 8 , wherein the diverging part comprises a diffusion of the light at an angle (β) lying in the range of 50-60°.